Invalid-lifting apparatus.



G. WHITE.

INVALID LIFTIN G APPARATUS.

APPLICATION nun JULY 23, 1910.

Patented 13101 29 2 snznrs-snm 1.

WITNESSES INVENTOR G. WHITE.

INVALID LIFTING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED muzs, 1910.

Patented Nov. 29, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

( u I I I u I I I n. "U m m m I I I u I I u q n n r I I 1 I I INVENI'OR WITNESSES Q fma.

- 'eAnBE'rr WHITE, or smart. HILL, TENNESSEE, assreuon. or onananr T wnmmu UNITE STATES PATENT OFFICE.

B. NEELY, OF CHAPEL HILL, TENNESSEE. Y

' INVALID-Lianne arranarus.

To all whom it may mam:

Be it known that I, GARRETT WHITE, a.

citizen of the United States of America,

and a resident of Chapel Hill, Marshallcounty,.in the State of Tennessee, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Invalid-Lifting Apparatus, "of which the as hereinafter particularly described and claimed.

Such apparatus is designed to lift and carry an invalid with less assistance than and quite as comfortably as the ordinary wheeled stretchers employed in hospitals; and to obviate the necessity of transferring the patient by hand from bed to stretcher, from stretcher to operating table and so forth; and the parts of the apparatus should be easily sterilizable.

The leading objects of the present invention are to render a full length Windlass free ended and substantially balanced in a single midlength support, and to provide for the manipulation of the Windlass from one end thereof by a single attendant; to permit. such windlass to be moved bodily toward or away from a single main upright or vertical post, or to be turned into a vertical position when not in use; to permit such Windlass to turn around the vertical axis of said midlength support without turning the base; and to render said support normally fastened against such movement.

Other objects will be set forth in the general description which follows:

Two sheets of drawings accompany this,

specification as parts thereof.

Figures 1. and 2 are perspective views showing two species of the improved apparatus; Figs. 3, 41-, 5, 6. 7 and 8 are detail views of parts hereinafter specified common to both species; Figs. 9 and-1O are sectional detail views showing a feature of construction common to both species but conveniently omitted from Fig. 2 Figs. 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 are detail views of other parts Specification of letters Patent. Patented Nov. 29,1910. Application filed July 23, 1 10. Serial at. 573,544.

. i o I represented in Fig.1; Figs. "16 and 17 are detail views of a brace which is intended to be common to both 8 cie's, but is conveniently omitted from Fig. 1'; and Figs 18, 19

and 20 are detail views showing features of construction represented in Fig. 2.

'Like reference characters refer to like parts in all the figures.

A vertical post, 1, and'a. horizontal base frame, 2, are constructed of iron pipe with cast coupling pieces rigidly uniting the several pipe lengths; rigid braces, 3, adapted to keep the post 1 perpendicularto the base frame 2, unite them; and the base frame 2 is supported by casters, 4, swiveled in said coupling pieces, and having the customary rubber-tired wheels of suitable size. 7

A rigid right-angled cast coupling piece, 5, at the top of the post 1, admits one end of a horizontal frame member, 6, of iron pipe, preferably so as to provide for endwise and angular adjustment, and the other. end of said horizontal member 6 is provided with a tightly attached and rigid right-angled coupling piece, 7. The Vertical bore of the latter is occupied by the shank of a depending .L-shaped Windlass support, 8, having a head, 9, at its upper end adapted to resist end- -wise displ cement, and a horizontal sleeveportion, 1 in which a free-ended and full length Windlass, 11, formed by another piece of pipe, has a midlengthbearing, and is substantially balanced; being strength andrigidity to permit thesuspension of a human patient therefrom in horizontal position and lengthwise with reference' to the Windlass, as represented'in Fig. 1 or Fig. 2. T

A hand-wheel, 12, Figs. 1-5, fast on one end of the Windlass 11, and preferably composed of a metallic hub-and-spoke casting and a wooden rim, provides for turning the windlass on its axis by hand; and the windlass is preferably provided with a sufficient number of spools, 13, as means for locating or distributing the patient suspending dcvlces.

A brace, 14, Figs.2, 16 and 17, hinged to a collar, 15, fast on the post 1, provides for steadying the wheel end of the Windlass during the lifting operation, as in Fig. 2, after which the bifurcated free end of the brace, shown at a in Figs. 16 and 17, may be disen gaged from the Windlass, and the brace permitted to hang at the side of the post 1.

of sufficient The patient suspendinn means common to the two species include flexible straps, 16 or 16' and 16", of leather or webbing, which are attached at their upper ends to the windlass 11 by suitable means, such as staples, 17, Fig. 19, extending through the Windlass and securely fastened; the straps winding upon or between the spools'13 as preferred.

=Other devices common to the two species include fastening means preferably in the shape of a vertical set-screw, 18, Figs. 1, 2

V .and'8, whereby the horizontal frame memher 6 is rendered normally immovable with reference to the post 1 and base frame 2.-

By loosening the frame member 6 at 18 the Windlass sup ort 8 maybe moved toward or away from t e post 1, or the Windlass may, be turned parallel with the post 1 when the appplratus is npt use.

other? device, intended as aforesaid to be common to both species, consistsof a sprin bo1t,19,'Figs. 1, 9 andlO, the housing 0 whichis fixedly attached to the top of the coupling piece 7, and which interacts I both species consists of means for rendering the Windlass 11 self-fastening as it is turned to lift an invalid, and for freeing it during the operation of lowering the invalid under the control of the hand-wheel 12. Suitable means for these purposes include a longitudinally movable rod, 22, Figs. 3+7, within the wheel end of the windlass, carrying a dog, 23, which protrudes through longitudinal slots, 21, in the Windlass, and interacts Withcrown ratchet teeth, 25, on one end of said sleeve portion 10 of the Windlass sup-,

port 8; a spring, 26, holding said dog normally in mesh, and a thumb-lever, 27, providing for the easy manipulation of the device by one of the hands of the attendant who has charge of the wheel 12.

In the first species, represented primarily by Fig. 1, the suspending straps 16 are only two in number and en 'age at their lower ends horizontal Wrist pins, 28, andj 29, rigidly attached respectively to ahead piece, 30, shown detached by Figs. -12 and 13, and at a corresponding point to a cross piece, 31, on a foot piece, 32, shown detached by Figs. 14: and 15. I These pieces 30 and 32 are of metal and fixedly attached at their lower ends to the. ends of a rectangular metallic frame, 33, the side pieces of which are of angle iron as shown in cross-section inFig. 11, and provided with depending staples,'34. A suflicl'cnt number of crossieces, 35, Figs.

land 11, in the form of po ished pieces of flat metal, complete the device. Each of these is constructed with a holding end, 36, Fig. 11, formed by 'two rectangular bends,

to interact with either oftheside pieces of a flat end, 37, which protrudes through one of the staples 34 at an opposite point. The upper portlon of the foot pie'ce32 forms a the frame 33, and prevent displacemennand rigid slottedguide, 38', Fi s; 1,14 and 15, through which the foot en of the Windlass 11 protrudes so that the invalid supporting frame 33 is guided or steadied in its ap-.

proach to the Windlass in the lifting opera-.

'tion.

ble, are attached by rigid buckle-forming pieces 39, Fig. 18, to U-shaped carriers, 40,

at one end of each; these carriers being adapted to have their free ends, ath Fig 18, inserted endwise beneath the patient." Such carriers may be constructed wholl' of polished metal to facilitate sterilizing they may be padded, as preferred. The head strap 16" forms a loop at its lower end to embrace the head of the patient.

Other like modifications of the improved lifting apparatus will suggest" themselves to those skilled in the art. g

Having thus described sai improvement, I claim as my invention, an deslre to patent under this specification:

1. An invalid lifting apparatus having, in combination, a movable base frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said frame,a horizontal frame member rigidly supported at one end by the upper-end of said post, a depending Windlass support located at the other end of said horizontal member and having a subjacent horizontal bore, a freeended and full length horizontal Windlass having a midlen th bearing in said bore and substantially ba anced therein, means for suspending a patient from said Windlass and beneath the same in a horizontal position, and means for manipulating said windlass from one end thereof.

2. The combination with an invalid lifting Windlass of a movable base frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said frame, a right-angled coupling piece at the upper end of said post having a horizontal bore, a horizontal frame member sup orted at one end by said coupling piece an movable in said bore, a depending Windlass support attached to the other end of said frame member, and

.means for fastening and unfastening said frame member arranged to interact with said coupling piece.

3. The combination with an invalid liftthem, or r ing Windlass of a movable base frame, a ver- .by said coupling piece and movable in said bore, adepending Windlass support attached to the other end of said frame member, and a set screw interacting with said coupling iece to render said frame member normally astened and to provide for unfastening it. 4. The combination, in an invalid lifting apparatus, of a movable base frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said frame, a horizontal frame member rigidly supported at one end by the upper end of said post, a right-angled coupling ieee fast on the other end of said frame mem er and having a vertical bore, a Windlass support having a vertical member rotatable in said bore and having a displacement-preventing head at its upper end and a subjacent horizontal sleeve portion, and a free-ended horizontal windlass having a midlength bearing in said sleeve portion.

5. The combination, in an invalid lifting apparatus, of a movable base frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said frame, a horizontal frame member rigidly supported at one end by the upper end of said post, .a right-angled coupling piece fast on the other end of said frame member, a depending .L-

, shaped Windlass support rotatable in the ver tical bore of said coupling piece and having a head at its upper end constructed with radial sockets, a spring bolt the housing of which is attached to said coupling piece and which interacts with said sockets, and a horizontal Windlass having av midlen th bearing in a sleeve portion of said wind ass support.

6. The combination in an invalid lifting apparatus, of a movablebase frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said base frame, a horlzontal frame member rigidly tion, a horizontal Windlass of metallic pipe having a midlength bearing in said sleeve portion and provided with longitudinal slots adjacent to said ratchet teeth, a hand wheel fast on one end ofsaid Windlass, a longitudinally movable rod within the wheel end of the windlass, a dog carried by said rod and protruding through said slots. to interact with said ratchet teeth, a spring which normally keeps said dog in mesh, and a thumb 'lever carried by said wheel and adapted to.

be moved byone of the hands grasping said wheel to free the Windlass by retracting said dog. t Y

7. The combination, in an invalid lifting piece, substantially apparatus, of a movable base frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said base frame, a horizontal frame member rigidly supported atone end by the upper end of said post, a depending .windlass support located at the other end of said horizontal member, a horizontal Windlass havin a midlength bearing in said support, an means for suspending a patient from said Windlass including straps attached thereto at their upper ends, head and foot pieces provided with rigid wrist ins to interact with the lower ends of said straps, a rectangular frame to which said head and foot pieces are attached, and movable cross pieces insertible endwise beneath the patient and adapted to be sup orted by said rectangular frame.

8. T e combination in an invalid lifting apparatus, of a movable base frame, a vertical post rigidly supported by said base frame, a horlzontal frame member rigidly supported at one end by the upper end of said post, a depending Windlass support located at the other end of said horizontals member, a horizontal Windlass having a mid length bearing in said support, and means for suspending a patient from said Windlass including straps attached thereto at their u per ends, head and foot pieces provided with rigid wrist pins' to interact with the lower ends of said straps, a rectangular frame to which said head and foot pieces are attached and which is constructed with side pieces of angle iron, and movable cross pieces insertible endwise benea'h the patient and each constructed with a h lding end formed. by .two rectangular bends, and adapted t interlock with one of said side pieces. 9. The combination, in an invalid lifting apparatus, ofa movable base frame,-a vertical post rigidly supported by said base frame, a horizontal frame member rigidly supportedat one end by the upper end of said post, a depending Windlass support located at the other end of said horizontal member, a horizontal Windlass having a midlength bearing in said support, and means for suspending a patient from said Windlass includin straps attached thereto at their up er en s, head and footpieces provided with rigid wrist pins to.interact with the lower ends of said able cross pieces insertible endwise beneath the patient. each constructed with a holding end adapted to interlock with either ofsaid side pieces and with a fiat end adapted to engage one of the staples on the other side. as hereinbefore s ecified. GARRETT W ITE. Witnesses:

JAs, L. Ewnv,

EBB-LAMB. 

